This morning, Ford continued their excruciatingly slow release of details on the 2009 Ford Fiesta. Today's morsel is the top-of-the-line new Fiesta's Duratec gas engine will be rated at just over 118 HP, good for a 0-to-62 MPH jog in just under 10 seconds, yet still providing a combined fuel economy of 47.9 MPG (That'd be 38.9 MPG for us colonials). Not too shabby. More details below.

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The new Fiesta will also receive a Mustang-worthy set of trim levels upon initial release (Studio, Style, Style Plus, Zetec, Zetec S, Titanium). Europeans will get to enjoy this, and more vacation, starting in October 2008. Americans will have to wait more than a year for the privilege (start saving those PTO hours). Just click on the LHD interior pic and dream. Press release below:

New Ford Fiesta

* All-new Fiesta developed in Europe for customers around the world

* Extends core Fiesta values of style, efficiency and value for money

* Dramatic exterior design and exciting interior styling, with high quality materials and bold use of colours

* Intelligent Protection System with standard knee airbag - first in a Ford small car - and head-and-thorax side airbags, with optional safety curtain airbags plus an array of pedestrian protection features

This vehicle is very special to us in Ford of Europe and to our customers. Over the past 32 years, Fiesta has consistently been at the top of the list of Europe's best-selling cars.

Over 12 million Fiestas have found homes with customers over that time and the Fiesta name continues to carry an overwhelmingly positive image in all its markets, standing for style, efficiency, driving quality and value for money. Our new model is set to continue this success story and carry Fiesta forward to a new generation of car buyers.

But this completely new model marks something of a departure for Ford of Europe. In contrast to previous generations of Fiesta, this car has been conceived and developed by the European arm of Ford's global product development team to meet the demands and expectations of our customers around the world.

It is also the blueprint for future Ford global product development, bringing together Europe, the Americas and Asia where it will be tailored for each region and go on sale progressively between now and 2010.

I believe this is the most dramatic Fiesta since the very first model and it is the most complete and expressive interpretation yet of our kinetic design philosophy, echoing both inside and out the major elements of the exciting Verve Concept vehicles that inspired such a positive reaction around the world.

Of course, you would expect a new Ford to be great to drive and our engineers have worked hard to ensure that new Fiesta will deliver excellent driving quality. This is one of our core vehicle attributes, and one we have developed and applied consistently throughout the Ford of Europe range.

One of the development team's greatest achievements is that it has been able to make the new Fiesta stronger, safer and more comfortable, yet lighter and more fuel efficient than the car it replaces. An exceptionally rigid body structure means a robust crash protection, even before you include up to seven airbags available as part of new Fiesta's Intelligent Protection System.

Increased fuel efficiency and lower emissions are two qualities that our small car customers are looking for on a daily basis and new Fiesta will not disappoint. Chief amongst a range of efficiency improvements is the extension of our acclaimed Ford ECOnetic ultra-low CO2 range, with a new 1.6-litre ECOnetic Duratorq TDCi offering CO2 emissions of less than 100g/km, while each and every engine in the range has been revised and enhanced for greater fuel efficiency and lower emissions.

We're also introducing an all-new 1.6-litre Ti-VCT engine and a Zetec S model for driving enthusiasts, while a host of comfort and convenience features you would normally expect to find on our much larger vehicles combine to make new Fiesta truly a compelling choice.

We're immensely proud of the new Ford Fiesta, as the latest addition to Ford's increasingly successful line-up of new models for Europe, and as the template for future generations of vehicles developed from the outset for our customers around the world."

John Fleming, President and CEO, Ford of Europe

July 2008

All-New Ford Fiesta - Introduction

"Everything about the all-new Ford Fiesta is new - from the styling, materials and technologies to the core development and manufacturing processes that bring it to life. It represents our future, in more ways than one."

Marin Burela, Executive Director of Small Cars, Ford of Europe

The all-new Ford Fiesta is not just the most dramatic and distinctive Fiesta ever, it also marks a significant landmark in Ford's history as the first Fiesta to be developed for customers around the world and as the template for the company's future generations of global vehicles.

Since the very first Fiesta was launched in 1976, over 12 million have been sold, with over 400,000 customers in 2007 (103,000 in the UK alone) proving the enduring popularity of the model's style, efficiency and value for money.

The all-new Fiesta is set to extend these values, while appealing to a new generation of small car buyers with its mix of kinetic design and latest big car technology. Three- and five-door all-new Fiestas will begin rolling off production lines in Europe in summer 2008, with regionally-tailored models on sale in Asia, South Africa, Australia and the Americas by 2010.

Developed for Customers Globally

The all-new Fiesta is the first product of Ford's new Global Product Development System (GPDS) and has been designed and developed to meet the differing needs of customers as diverse as Western and Eastern Europe, North America, China, Australia and South Africa.

Extensive research by Ford in these regions provided the basis for the new GPDS process, which will dictate the future of Ford product development. All-new Fiesta is also the first product of Ford Motor Company CEO, Alan Mulally's 'One Ford' vision of a single, global company designing and building cars for a single, global customer base, not divided by regional or national borders.

All-new Fiesta is the latest interpretation of Ford's kinetic design philosophy, exuding presence and individuality in a way that will appeal to a new generation of buyers.

Building on the exciting momentum of the Verve Concept and latest-generation production models like the Mondeo and Focus, all-new Fiesta brings the modern and dynamic Ford of Europe family look to the small-car segment.

It wears the distinctive, bold Ford 'face' including the signature lower grille and large, centred Ford oval badge that characterises both the Verve Concept and other modern Ford vehicles. Details such as chrome and brightwork accents, sleek, wraparound headlamps, bold, pronounced wheel arch lips and a strong bodyside beltline create a dynamic look, even when stationary, while a distinctive rear view is formed by a sweeping roofline that finishes in a small spoiler, with dramatic, honeycomb tail lamps.

This impact continues on the inside, with courageous use of dynamic lines, full surfaces and bold graphics, with an ambience ranging from sporty to sophisticated, created by the careful use of colours and materials in different contrasts Zetec S incorporates snowboard and street fashion designs and Zetec and Titanium feature high contrast dark gloss surfaces and high-tech metallic accents.

Executive Director of Design, Martin Smith comments: "This is the most complete, expressive and exciting Fiesta Ford has ever produced, inside and out. To me, it is a car that evokes an instant emotional response - 'I want one' - before you even get near it."

Commitment to Driving Excellence

Buying a Fiesta has always meant owning a great car to drive and all-new Fiesta is set to extend that reputation even further, with key changes and an all-new 'Zetec S' model in the range.

Standing on virtually the same footprint, but 40 kilogrammes lighter than its predecessor, all-new Fiesta delivers a 'light-yet-solid' handling precision, enhanced by the first use of an Electric Power Assist Steering system in a European Ford.

An all-new Fiesta Zetec S model will be available at launch, with a new, 120 PS 1.6-litre Duratec Ti-VCT petrol engine bringing performance to the heart of the Fiesta range

At the same time, a new level of driving refinement echoes all-new Fiesta's visual sophistication and is set to raise the standard for small cars for road, powertrain and wind noise isolation.

Ford's commitment to driving quality will feature in all-new Fiestas, whether built in Cologne, Germany, Valencia, Spain, or Nanjing, China, but with each tuned to suit regional driving conditions and customer preferences, under Ford's global engineering approach.

"We wanted to make sure that driving quality remains at the heart of all-new Fiesta - we had to ensure that the driving experience delivered on the promise made by its dynamic kinetic design", says Dieter Schwarz, Vehicle Engineering Manager for global Fiesta development. "I am confident we have fulfilled that promise."

Stronger, Safer, Lighter

Under all-new Fiestas' stylish exterior is a robust body structure, crafted from high-strength steels, to protect occupants in the event of a collision.

More than 55 per cent of the body structure is high-strength steel, making all-new Fiesta approximately 10 per cent stiffer torsionally than its predecessor and providing an exceptionally rigid safety cell for all occupants.

Supporting this is all-new Fiestas' Intelligent Protection System, offering up to seven airbags, including the first use of a driver's knee-airbag in a small Ford car.

This intense focus on safety extends to those outside the car, with an array of pedestrian protection features, from the shape and structure of all-new Fiestas' front bumper, bonnet and windscreen, to small details such as the shape of its headlamps and wiper blades.

"All-new Fiesta is a clear example that making a safe car doesn't mean making a large car, or a heavy car. There is no need to compromise between safety and good design or driving character", says Bernd Liesenfelder, Body Engineering Manager for Ford of Europe.

Big Car Features and Clear Series Choice

All-new Fiesta brings an array of 'big car' premium features to the small car segment, which customers will notice even before they turn the key for the first time.

All-new Fiestas' striking centre console features a mobile phone-inspired entertainment system that is styled very differently to traditional automotive switchgear, to provide a completely intuitive interface.

The driving position is given a 'cockpit' feel, with improved position and adjustment to both the driver's seat and steering wheel, while passengers receive more personal and luggage space overall than the previous Fiesta, despite the stylish, sweeping exterior profile. Stowage space abounds from a boot capable of swallowing 295 litres, to ingenious storage areas throughout the cabin, including charging points for mobile phones and MP3 players.

While all-new Fiesta has been designed and engineered to meet a wide range of customer requirements, a clear series choice makes selecting the right model a simple task, with options from feisty to frugal, ultra-modern to traditional and a comprehensive list of standard features at all levels.

A simple six-series range provides maximum choice from the affordable and well-equipped Studio and the popular Style and Style Plus, or the modern, techno style of Zetec, Zetec S and Titanium.

A high level of equipment provides items such as power door mirrors as standard across the range. Completing the premium feel are features on Zetec and Titanium, such as the Aesthetic Lighting Pack, which bathes the centre console, gearshift area and passenger side dashboard area in a soft red glow.

"You immediately feel the quality of a bigger car that will be at the core of the all-new Fiesta ownership experience. When we consider all the comfort and convenience features in the new Fiesta range, we think of it not as our new small car, but our smallest large car", says Giovanni De Pasca, Driving Environment and Occupant Package Manager for Ford of Europe.

A key development is the new Fiesta ECOnetic, offering the impressive torque of the 1.6-litre Ford Duratorq TDCi engine with target CO2 emissions of just 99 grams per kilometre (g/km), achieved through careful engine calibration, lowered suspension and aerodynamic improvements and a no-maintenance, coated Diesel Particulate Filter (c-DPF). The sub-100g Fiesta ECOnetic joins the sub-140 g/km Ford Mondeo and sub-120 g/km Ford Focus ECOnetic models as Ford achieves its commitment to deliver a range of ultra-low CO2 models at the heart of its product portfolio.

Other Duratorq TDCi engines also benefit from refinements to their state-of-the-art common rail injection systems to deliver enhanced fuel economy, lower CO2 emissions and improved performance.

Driving enthusiasts are not forgotten, thanks to an all-new, 120PS, 1.6-litre Duratec Ti-VCT petrol engine, available in the new Fiesta Zetec S and Titanium models. Despite its feisty character and 20 extra horsepower, the new Duratec Ti-VCT is even more fuel efficient than the 100 PS, 1.6-litre engine in the previous Fiesta. The Fiesta Zetec S can accelerate from zero to 0-62 mph in 9.9 seconds, while still achieving a combined fuel economy of 47.9 mpg and CO2 emissions of 139 g/km.

Three other 16-valve Duratec petrol engines are offered for all-new Fiesta, in 1.25- and 1.4-litres and outputs from 60 PS to 96 PS, with an automatic transmission option available on the Duratec 1.4-litre.

An added feature on all-new Fiesta is Stall Prevention, designed to assist in low speed manoeuvres by altering the engine's ignition profile to increase the amount of available torque and tuned for each individual powertrain.

"Thanks to its mix of careful calibration and latest powertrain technology, all-new Fiesta is a tailored driving experience, carefully and precisely tuned to respond to all drivers and driving styles," says Joerg Beyer, Chief Carline Engineer for all-new Fiesta.

Low Cost of Ownership

It is not just in its contemporary styling and new technologies that all-new Fiesta will be attractive to a discerning and demanding generation of customers - extensive thought and effort has ensured it still stands for value for money and reliability.

Helping owners minimise running costs was key, with fuel economy at the top of the list. All-new Fiesta boasts increased efficiency across the range, with owners of the 1.4-litre Duratorq TDCi saving approximately a tankful of fuel a year - 45 litres over 9,300 miles - through efficiency improvements alone.

Insurance premiums and repair costs are kept low by an intelligent approach to manufacturing. Bake-hardened steel on front wings offers better resistance to low-speed bumps and scrapes, while headlamps and tail lamps are positioned high, away from potential impacts and specially shaped 'crash cans' are designed as sacrificial parts, collapsing predictably in an impact to prevent more extensive damage and higher repair costs.

Durability has been assessed at each stage in its development, with a total of 2.2 million miles of on-road testing and over 300,000 test operations on doors, bonnet and tailgate in real world environmental conditions.

All-new Fiesta is manufactured with sophisticated techniques more commonly found in big-car production, all part of delivering higher quality than ever for customers across the world.

"All-new Fiesta proves how you can make a small car affordable and reliable, without compromising style, quality or features", concludes Joerg Beyer. "That's the key to making all-new Fiesta truly desirable."

32 Years of Success

For the past 32 years, Ford Fiesta has provided practicality and driving pleasure to millions of customers across Europe. From its origins in 1976, as the product of a mission to build a new European small car with modern features and a respectable price tag, the Fiesta name became ingrained in European culture and is now known across a variety of markets in Asia and South America. Fiesta is a brand that has attracted a loyal and dedicated following.

Fiesta has always been at the forefront of Ford's commitment to driving quality and innovative technology. In 1983, the Mk II Fiesta was one of the most economical cars in the world and the only vehicle of its size to offer diesel power. In 1989 Fiesta introduced anti-lock braking to the small car market and in 1994 a driver's airbag came as standard.

Accolades have abounded for the car during its lifetime, from rallying and motorsport success to prestigious titles such as 'Car of the Year 1989', 'Best Small Car in the World', 'Smartest Small Car', and 'Best City Car'.